The invention relates generally to apparatus for use in animal husbandry and, more specifically, to a catcher and transporter for calves that is mounted to a vehicle.
Farmers, and particularly ranchers, who have cow-calf operations frequently have the cows in fields or open ranges where calves are given birth. Calves need to be caught in the fields or open ranges soon after birth for the purposes of identification tagging, health procedures, and related processing. They also may need to be caught at a later date for additional treatment or further processing. This requires that a farm or ranch worker be able to select, isolate and restrain the calf, which is free to roam about a large area and naturally tries to avoid capture. The mother cows are very protective of their calves, especially newborns, and often pose a threat to a worker attempting to capture or treat the calf. The present invention provides a safe and effective means to catch the calf, protect the worker from the mother cow while processing the calf, and transport the calf when required.